THE FRY GRAPH READABILITY

Edward Fry developed one of the more popular Reading Formulas – the Fry Graph
Readability Formula. Fry, who worked as a Fulbright Scholar in Uganda, also
helped teachers to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) for a few years,
from 1963 and onwards. During his early days, Fry developed readability tests
based on graph [A Readability Formula That Saves Time, Journal of
Reading (1968)]. This graph-based test determined readability through high
school; it was validated with materials from primary and secondary schools and
with results of other readability formulas.

In 1969, Fry extended the graph to primary levels. In his book Elementary
Reading Instruction in 1977, Fry extended the graph to test through the college
years. Fry advised that an individual’s vocabulary continues to grow during college
years, yet the reading ability varies depending on the individual and the subjects
taught.

Fry went on to become Director of the Reading Center of Rutgers University and
an authority on how people learn to read.

The Fry Graph Readability Formula

Step 1: Select 3 samples of 100-word passages randomly (eliminate the numbers

from word count).

Step 2: Count the number of sentences in all three 100-word passages, estimating
the fraction of the last sentence to the nearest 1/10th.

Step 3: Count the number of syllables in all three 100-word passages. Make a
table as follows: